L‘ARBRE DE L‘AUTHENTICITÉ (THE TREE OF AUTHENTICITY)

In the organizer's words:

In the heart of the Congo rainforest, the remains of a research center for tropical agriculture reveal the burden of the colonial past and its links to today's climate change. Nestled in Africa's largest rainforest lies one of the many memorials to Western efforts to control nations and nature: the Yangambi INERA Research Station, once a thriving scientific center on the banks of the Congo River. Today it is a mix of jungle and ruins that raises questions about knowledge, power and access. The TREE OF AUTHENTICITY tells the story of ecological destruction since the colonial era from the perspective of two scientists, Paul Panda Farnana and Abiron Beirnaert, as well as the tree itself.

In the heart of the Congo rainforest, the remains of a research cen- tre dedicated to tropical agriculture reveal the burden of the colonial past and its links to contemporary climate change. Nestled in Africa's largest rainforest lies one of the many graves of the West's efforts to control nations and nature: the Yangambi INERA Re- search Station, once a thriving scientific center on the banks of the Congo River. Today, it is a mix of jungle and ruin, raising questions about knowledge, power, and access. The TREE OF AUTHENTICITY recounts ecological destruction from colonization through the voic- es of the two scientists Paul Panda Farnana and Abiron Beirnaert as well as the tree itself.

Documentary | Belgium, Democratic Republic of Congo | 2025 | 89 min | OmeU | Director: Sammy Baloji | FSK: 18
Docu | Belgium, Democratic Republic Congo | 2025 | 89 min |
SEN | Director: Sammy Baloji | VSR: 18